CAD at Your Fingertips

REVIEWS COLUMNS Xi MTower PCIe Workstation: CAD Manager: Slice Through the Hype of CAD on the Cloud Top CAD Performance at a Competitive Price Circles and Lines: Make the Most of the New AutoCAD UI CadTempo 5.2: Automatically Track and Chart Work Time User Profile: Inside the Mind of Curt Moreno, Kung Fu Drafter

Spring 2012 | Vol. 29 No. 2 | $9.99

Get Productive with CAD and Get the Job Done. www.cadalyst.com

Handheld Devices Are Making It Easy to Access and Share Data from Virtually Any Location

Tech Trends BIM vs. GIS: Which Is Best for Facilities Management? Dell recommends Windows® 7 Professional.

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*Availability and terms of Dell Services vary by region. For more information, visit dell.com/servicedescriptions Intel, the Intel logo, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Spring 2012 www.cadalyst.com

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30 36

AutoCAD WS at work on the job site on a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet. Image courtesy of Autodesk. Cover art direction: Gwen Thomsen Rhoads

features columns 12 techtrends By Heather Livingston 32 cadmanager By Robert Green BIM vs. GIS No More Cloudy Days When it comes to facilities management, which Slice through the hype, learn about cloud tools and how technology provides the information you need in they can support your users, and find practical ways to the way you need it — building information modeling determine whether CAD on the cloud makes sense for or a geographic information system? The answer your company. might be: both. 36 circlesandlines By Lynn Allen 16 cadalystlabsreport By Heather Livingston Don’t Be Shy — Try Out the New UI! CAD at Your Fingertips From the Command line and ribbons to new click- Handheld devices and a rapidly expanding selection throughs, the updated user interface offers a variety of of apps are usurping laptops by providing access to data time-saving ways to get AutoCAD to do what you want in virtually any location. We take a look at how the it to do. technology is changing the way CAD professionals access, update, and share data. 38 userprofile By Nancy Spurling Johnson Kung Fu Drafter Curt Moreno has been drafting since he was 14 years old. Today he’s a CAD manager and popular blogger with cadalystlabsreviews a passion for preserving his craft. 26 firstlook By Art Liddle Xi MTower PCIe Workstation Beefy desktop machine delivers top CAD performance at a competitive price. departments 4 editor’swindow 7 cadcartoon 30 firstlook By R.K. McSwain 7 cadcentral 10 hottipharry CadTempo 5.2 Automatically track and chart time spent using popular CAD applications, Microsoft Office, and more.

Spring 2012 cadalyst www.cadalyst.com 3 editor’swindow

Going Mobile

ur cover story on mobile CAD performance; 3Dconnexion with another (“CAD at Your Fingertips,” 3D navigation device for professional p. 16) cites a report on cloud users, the SpaceMouse Pro; and compa- O trends by research firm IDC nies such as Riverbed and Aryaka that that predicts that 46% of all professionals continue to base their networking solu- will be mobile-only by 2014. That statistic tions on the reality that CAD users create shocks me! Can you imagine nearly half huge files that must physically move from of your peers abandoning the desktop one office to another, rather than sit on computing environment? the cloud. Upon further reflection, it becomes These companies, and dozens of their clear that although there’s a significant competitors, would not be investing in movement toward mobile CAD, it’s not these developments if CAD were poised likely that this statistic will hold true for to go all-mobile anytime soon. CAD-using professionals. CAD users are Don’t get me wrong: I’m not discount- a highly productive bunch, and achieving ing the mobile CAD movement. As our Will most that level of productivity likely requires cover story explains, it is going strong. At planting yourself in a chair in front of least 100 CAD-related mobile apps are of us be a desktop setup that includes complex already on the market — we managed software; a powerful and comfortable to squeeze about 75 of them into the list workplace hardware configuration; a fast, reliable we compiled for you (see p. 22) — and Internet connection; and a place to set I’d gamble that the number will double nomads by your coffee. or even triple by this time next year. Each You probably won’t be going all- new development in this arena gives 2014? mobile in the next couple of years CAD users another reason to opt for the because the complicated tasks that com- convenience of mobile computing. But pose your job — drafting, 3D modeling, for the future I foresee, mobile CAD will rendering, analysis — require software evolve to supplement desktop CAD, not that doesn’t exist in a mobile app, and replace it. likely won’t for some time. Even if such What are your thoughts about apps were to be developed or if that mobile vs. desktop computing for CAD- software became available on the cloud, related work? What are you doing now, could you be productive using it with a and what do you see in your future? 10” display and your fingertip as your Join Cadalyst on Facebook or post to input device? No. our group on LinkedIn and get the Hardware developers know this about discussion started! the CAD user, which is why, despite the buzz around cloud technologies and Nancy Spurling Johnson mobile computing, heavy hitters are still Editor-in-Chief, Cadalyst bringing ever-more-powerful technology [email protected] to market that targets the CAD user who sits at a desk: Intel’s upcoming Ivy Bridge processors for desktop workstations; HP with its brand-new all-in-one workstation (see p. 7), as well as BOXX and @Xi with their latest powerhouse desktop workstations (one of those is reviewed on p. 26); NVIDIA’s new Maximus technology, which radically ramps up workstation

4 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 THE HOT ROD BABY BUGGY IS ROAD READY PROJECT 3 OF LET’S GO DESIGN In this interactive web series, SolidWorks brings together CAD fanatics from around the world to collaborate on innovative design projects. With their help, our host Jeremy Luchini successfully designed the ﬁ rst hardcore baby buggy for dads. Watch its development from design to build - and how SolidWorks was used to bring ideas, comments and your votes to life at LetsGoDesign.tv Cadalyst is printed on demand, resulting in less stress on our environment through reduced paper volume 29 no. 2 use, printing, and shipping.

Cadalyst (ISSN 0820-5450) and the logo appearing on the cover are registered trademarks of Longitude Media, LLC. Printed in the USA. Cadalyst doesn’t verify claims or other information appear- www.cadalyst.com ing in advertisements in the publication and cannot take any responsibility for losses or other damages incurred by readers in reliance on such content. Customer Service Contact us at customerservice@ Publisher P.O. Box 832 longitudemedia.com. Subscriptions If you have any questions regarding your subscription or if you would like CEO, Longitude Media Dover, MA 02030 to order back issues, contact our Customer Service depart- Seth Nichols ment. Change of Address Send requests to the e-mail [email protected], 508.785.1131 address above. Reprints Article reprints from this issue, Contributing Experts past issues, and digital content are available, and you can license Cadalyst content for use on your web site. Editorial Lynn Allen AutoCAD Technical Evangelist, Autodesk Longitude Media, LLC, may share your personal information with our affiliates and with our partners, including our Editor-in-Chief Paul F. Aubin Paul F. Aubin Consulting Services sponsors and advertisers, for marketing, advertising, and/or Nancy Spurling Johnson Brian Benton AUGI HotNews Manager and product/service offering purposes, and with others who [email protected], 541.343.0678 are licensed to access your personal information by any of CAD Writer the foregoing. Also, we rent e-mail lists compiled from Senior Editor Pat Davis Atkins North America e-mail addresses gathered from our sites. If you do not want Cyrena Respini-Irwin Longitude Media to make your contact information available Bill Fane Writer to third parties for marketing purposes, you may opt out by [email protected], 206.388.3648 notifying us at [email protected] or by Managing Editor Nancy Fulton 3D Rendering and Animation writing to us at the address below. Lara Sheridan Specialist, OpenCAD International Cadalyst is published quarterly by Longitude Media, LLC, P.O. Box 832, Dover, MA 02030. Subscription rates: US$9.99 per [email protected] Robert Green Robert Green Consulting Group issue. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Longitude Art Director Media, LLC, P.O. Box 832, Dover, MA 02030. Canadian GST Steve Johnson cad nauseam Gwen Thomsen Rhoads number 840 033 278 RT0001. Publications Mail Agreement Number 40017597. Art Liddle Art Liddle Consulting Please send press releases to [email protected]. Copyright 2012 by Longitude Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Heather Livingston Writer No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, Advertising Services Scott MacKenzie Writer and BIM Expert including by photocopy, recording, or information storage Strategic Marketing Consultant and retrieval system, without permission in writing from R.K. McSwain CADpanacea.com the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal Michael R. Uliss Dr. Joel N. Orr Chief Visionary, Cyon Research or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific [email protected], 770.516.4704 clients is granted by Longitude Media, LLC, for libraries Melanie Perry CAD/CAFM Technician and Writer and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Marketing Services Administrator Center; contact us for copying beyond that permitted by Andrew Roe President, AGR Associates, Inc. Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. For those Marisa Strange Jeffrey Rowe Cairowest Group not registered with the CCC, send permission request to [email protected], 562.265.8257 [email protected].

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6 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 cadcentral By Nancy Spurling Johnson

Autodesk, Kenesto, Inforbix HP Z1: Industry’s First 27” All-in-One Workstation Take Plunge into Built-for- HP in mid-February unveiled a new form factor that’s a radical departure from its the-Cloud Enterprise Tools traditional towers. The HP Z1 all-in-one professional workstation weds the display With as much chutzpah as CEO and computer in a single unit that sits atop a hinged, adjustable stand. Carl Bass displayed five years ago The Z1 takes a cue from Apple’s iMac design, but pushes the computing power to when declaring that “PLM problems a level that will support CAD professionals. The ISV-certified machine, which offers don’t exist,” Autodesk in late Febru- tool-free maintenance, is built around quad-core Intel Xeon processors, NVIDIA ary launched its new, full-fledged Quadro graphics, and ECC (error-correcting code) memory and runs natively on product lifecycle management (PLM) Windows and Linux platforms. solution. “First and foremost, we thought about the CAD environment,” said Josh Peterson, Autodesk PLM 360 isn’t like the HP’s director of worldwide product marketing, Commercial Solutions, specifying that complex systems the company has the Z1 is well suited to architecture as well as mechanical, civil, and structural engi- decried, the company reports. It was neering applications. developed for and resides on the Sporting a shell of brushed aluminum and edge-to-edge glass, the Z1’s compact, cloud, is highly configurable, takes streamlined design is ideal for tight workspaces including home offices and cubicles; mere days to learn, and requires a it can even be mounted on a wall fraction of the investment needed with the addition of a VESA-mount to implement and maintain other display arm. solutions, the company reports. “We The Z1’s design is also proof of are the first with a true PLM system HP’s ongoing efforts to provide in the cloud,” said Stephen Bodnar, tool-less access to workstation vice-president of PLM and data components. Users can recline the management. machine to a horizontal position, The company revealed the new lock the stand, and lift the display up PLM solution last December — then on hinges, as if opening a briefcase. called by its code name, 360 Nexus Once inside, users can remove the — at Autodesk University 2011 in Las graphics card module, hard drive, Vegas, Nevada. “What’s different, and other components with finger- and why now?” Bodnar asked at the operated releases. user conference. “It’s pretty clear Pricing starts at $1,899 (with inte- that our customers recognize that grated Intel graphics) in the United there’s value in PLM,” he explained, States and includes a standard three- With no tower and minimal cords, the HP Z1 cuts but the barrier to PLM adoption year warranty. down on clutter and maximizes available workspace. has been that the technology and predominant business models in the market haven’t really allowed cus- cadcartoon #Z3PHFS1FOXJMMtXXXQFOXJMMDPN tomers to achieve that value. They’ve been waiting for the right solution to come along, he said. PLM 360, Autodesk claims, is the answer. Written from the ground up as a cloud-based platform, it is designed for companies of all sizes to use alone or in conjunction with virtually any existing CAD, product data management (PDM), or other PLM solution, including the on-site Autodesk Vault PDM solution and the cloud-based Autodesk Buzzsaw for collaboration with outside partners and suppliers. Users can access PLM 360 any time and from virtually any web browser on any device, Bodnar said. No special training or skills are required to learn and use the system. PLM, continued on page 8

Spring 2012 cadalyst www.cadalyst.com 7 cadcentral

PLM continued from page 7 “If you can use a browser, you can use tion fees are involved, according to the Inforbix, a new developer of cloud- PLM 360.” company. Full-function access is free for based product data access applications, The “instant-on” service — that the first three professional users; each introduced two new data apps — Infor- is, it comes with 140 preinstalled applica- additional user license costs $75 per bix Charts and Inforbix Dashboard — tions that can go to work as soon as a month on an annual contract basis. The that aggregate product data from differ- subscription is activated — can be tai- Autodesk PLM 360 web site is offering ent file types, sources, and locations. The lored using drag-and-drop functionality service fees as low as $1 per user per new apps will help customers get more or configured from scratch to support month for as many as ten users over a out of product data and become more unique processes, circumventing the ten-month period (March to December productive while improving decision- need to purchase additional modules. 2012). The introductory offer period making, Inforbix reports. They join Infor- Autodesk has made available the full API ends June 15. bix Search and Inforbix Tables. as well as enterprise application integra- Kenesto, under the direction of CEO “With Inforbix Charts and Inforbix tion technology that enables customers and CAD industry veteran Mike Payne, is Dashboard, Inforbix continues to deliver to integrate PLM 360 with virtually any another new, 100% cloud-based system the industry’s only cloud-based product ERP, MRP, or other software solution. for enterprisewide manufacturing process data access apps,” said CEO Oleg Described as a true multi-tenant cloud management. Currently in beta testing, Shilovitsky. Inforbix apps address specific application, PLM 360 was developed it is designed to allow users in all depart- product data tasks such as finding, reus- using the latest cloud technology so ments to create processes and manage ing, and sharing product data. Inforbix each customer has its own data center, work easily, using computing concepts can access product data within PDM inaccessible to others, that provides they already understand. Kenesto systems such as Dassault Systèmes’ security and disaster recovery. Thanks to “learns” processes as users simply attach ENOVIA SmarTeam and Autodesk Vault the cloud, software upgrades and broken data and route it to the next person or and make it available in meaningful ways customization are a thing of the past; organization in the process. There is no to CAD and non-CAD users. The com- the application is always up-to-date and need to model a process in advance, pany also announced the expansion of compatible with any customer-specific deploy it to a process execution engine, data access to SolidWorks EPDM. configuration, Autodesk reports. or install any client software, the com- Current Inforbix customers can imme- PLM 360 requires no special hard- pany reports. Kenesto runs in any diately begin using the free Inforbix iPad ware, storage, or networking systems to HTML 5–capable browser, including app, available from the Apple App Store. implement; no costs beyond subscrip- mobile devices running Android and iOS.

Free TurboViewer Voted Top 5 App by Apple Users; poll New TurboApps SDK Released WHAT TYPE OF COMPUTER TurboViewer, a free 2D/3D native DWG DO YOU USE PRIMARILY FOR viewer from IMSI/Design, was named CAD-RELATED WORK? by Macworld/iWorld as one of the Top 5 Apps for 2012, following the publication’s Appalooza contest in which fans cast ballots for their favorite iOS apps. Developed by IMSI/Design, TurboViewer is available for the iPad and iPhone as well as Android devices. In related news, IMSI/Design also announced the first 2D/3D development platform for mobile CAD apps. Free for an introductory period, the TurboApps SDK lets CAD developers build apps around viewing 2D and 3D DWG and DXF wireframe models. “Our goal with TurboApps SDK is to create a mobile development platform specifically designed to take advantage of those things that make portable devices so different from desktop computers,” said Royal Farros, chairman and CEO. “We believe we can be a foundation for mobile CAD going forward and can’t wait to see what apps the smart phone and tablet generation creates.” Source: Survey of 2,340 visitors to Cadalyst.com in late 2011 and early 2012.

8 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 CREATE BREAKTHROUGH DESIGNS BLAZING-FAST GEOMETRY PERFORMANCE FOR COMPLEX DESIGNS - THE NEW AMD FIREPROTM WORKSTATION GRAPHICS RANGE

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Reach in and Grab Your Virtual Hot Tip Harry Marches into Spring .PEFM XJUIUIF)FMQPG[4QBDF by R.K. McSwain ZSpace, the 3D visualization technol- Cadalyst’s code detective doesn’t get spring fever, just LISP fever! To download Harry’s latest ogy from Infinite Z, has officially moved batch of AutoCAD customization tips sent in by readers, visit cadtips.cadalyst.com/0212hth: into beta testing and is scheduled to t "4JNQMFS&MMJQTFby Ramakrishna Acharya become generally available in the first AutoCAD has offered full 3D modeling capabilities for some time, but users still draw and half of 2012. Using a proprietary stereo- sketch in 2D as well. This routine will project circles in one view as an ellipse in another. scopic display, trackable eyewear, a new t 3FTJ[F5FYUBOE.UFYU by Theodorus Winata type of direct interaction stylus, and This small routine will help you scale multiple text and/or mtext entities individually about an innovative software platform, the their insertion point in AutoCAD. technology presents objects in full color by Jay Thomas and high resolution. The objects appear t %SBX'PSNFE4IBQFT solid, and can be directly manipulated Draw a variety of formed shapes including angles, channels, and U or J shapes — most in open space as if they were physical anything that can be made with four bends or fewer. objects. Users in product design, GIS/ t +PJO.VMUJQMF&OUJUJFTCZ-BZFS by Alan Thompson geospatial, scientific, medical, and This AutoCAD routine will join supported entities on the same layer into polylines. For government fields can naturally example, if you select a single object, all lines, arcs, and navigate, grab, slice, carve, zoom, polylines on that layer will be joined into one or more and explore models. polylines. “Our immersive zSpace experience t 2VJDLMZ'SFF[FBOE5VSO0GG-BZFST by Kent Cooper enables users to interact with 3D appli- A recently published CAD Tip allows you to select layers to cations just as naturally and intuitively freeze and if you choose the current layer, it switches the as they would with real physical objects, current layer to layer 0. This tip expands on the concept, which has never been possible before in allowing you to select layer 0 to freeze it. the virtual computing space,” said Paul t 2VJDL9SFG$POUSPM by Matt Sibum Kellenberger, CEO of Infinite Z. “zSpace This set of xref display–related commands comprises five has the potential to dramatically enhance and improve user workflows, shortcuts for unloading, reloading, and isolating xrefs. saving companies time and money, and enabling designers and engineers to ciated licensing to be installed on the an individual has the skills to create represent their ideas more effectively system under test,” said Tom Fisher, and comprehend complex technical and realistically than possible with working group chair. “The resulting drawings. Designed for technicians, today’s 2D displays.” benchmark would be easy to install and engineers, drafters, technologists, and Upon introduction, beta versions run, but still rigorous enough to provide industrial managers, it requires exam- of zSpace plug-ins were available for meaningful, repeatable data for perfor- inees to have a solid background in Autodesk Maya 2011 and Showcase mance evaluation.” The group hopes engineering graphics and apply their Professional 2012, as were proof-of- to augment tests from its SPECviewperf analytical knowledge of drafting. Cer- concept demos for Autodesk Alias benchmark with code and workloads tification shows that an individual is Design and Dassault Systèmes 3D representative of those used in CAE, not just someone who can work with a solutions. digital media, entertainment, finance, CAD software program, but is a techni- health sciences, and energy. cal professional who understands how SPEC Seeks Input for Proposed SPEC also reported that it is inves- products are designed and produced, tigating a proposed benchmark that ATMAE reports. 8PSLTUBUJPO#FODINBSL would measure compute-intensive per- SPEC’s Graphics and Workstation formance of handheld devices such as *."(*/J5 $MBSJUZ $FOUSBMJ[FT 1FSGPSNBODF(SPVQ (SPEC/GWPG) tablets and smart phones. Anyone inter- announced it is seeking applications, ested in participating in the handheld Revit BIM Models algorithms, and workloads for a working group should contact SPEC at IMAGINiT Technologies released proposed workstation performance [email protected]. IMAGINiT Clarity, a web-based solu- benchmark. Early participants in the tion for Autodesk Revit that allows workstation working group include ATMAE Certification Validates team members and external partners to AMD, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Intel, and Technical Drawing Expertise share one centrally located BIM model NVIDIA. securely from multiple locations. It can “We are looking to fill a gap by The Association of Technology, be packaged with Autodesk Revit Server providing a benchmark that measures .BOBHFNFOU BOE"QQMJFE&OHJOFFSJOH or integrated with an existing instal- the performance of workstations run- (ATMAE) has introduced the Certifica- lation. Pricing depends on number of ning popular applications, but without tion in Engineering Graphics (CEG), an locations, users, and implementation requiring the full application and asso- exam designed to demonstrate that services required.

10 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 HP recommends Windows® 7.

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* HP is not liable for pricing errors. If you place an order for a product that was incorrectly priced, we will cancel your order and credit you for any charges. In the event that we inadvertently ship an order based on a pricing error, we will issue a revised invoice to you for the correct price and contact you to obtain your authorization for the additional charge, or assist you with return of the product. If the pricing error results in an overcharge to you, HP will credit your account for the amount overcharged. techtrends By Heather Livingston

London’s Crossrail project comprises BIM 21 km of new twin-bore tunnels and will connect 37 commuter rail stations. The project team uses Bentley Systems’ ProjectWise platform to access and share vs. building information models, GIS data, GIS and less-structured data. © Crossrail Ltd

wood and Michael Schlosser, both of Autodesk, this gathering When it comes to managing was lively and full of strong opinions about the capabilities, facilities and infrastructure, strengths, and drawbacks of BIM and GIS in the FM arena. which technology provides the Taking Sides Southwood, a geospatial technical specialist, expressed his information that you need in the belief that BIM is best suited for managing data related to the building itself, whereas GIS is more applicable for everything way you need it? The answer outside buildings. What FM really needs, he said, is something to manage information on a large scale. He believes that CAD in might be: both. a GIS system provides the single source of truth that’s needed to analyze the data required for FM. Because 3D design programs such as Autodesk Revit don’t yet have the ability to easily trans- n facilities management, one question seems to be on fer data directly into a GIS model, CAD is the standard-bearer everyone’s mind these days: BIM or GIS? Without a doubt, for maintaining accurate design data in a GIS system. both options have a lot to offer when it comes to wran- Schlosser wholeheartedly disagrees with Southwood. I gling all the data involved in operating a facility. BIM Although he, too, is a technical specialist and a geospatial (building information modeling) offers detailed 3D visualiza- subject matter expert, he is tion and the ability to organize huge volumes of data related a bit of a BIM evangelist — In This Article to buildings. A GIS (geographic information system) is highly although his appraisal of BIM Autodesk, Inc. customizable, well equipped for analysis, and ideal for projects is not a conventional one. www.autodesk.com in a campus or multi-site environment. Which program or “I would say the BIM model Bentley Systems process is better for FM depends entirely on whom you ask. encompasses more than www.bentley.com In speaking with a variety of experts, one thing became clear: that,” he argued during the Esri You’re not likely to find much consensus. seminar. “The BIM model can www.esri.com At Autodesk University 2011, one seminar explored “The encompass an entire subdivi- Safe Software Great BIM Versus GIS Debate.” Hosted by Matt Ball, editor and sion and not be just about an www.safe.com cofounder of Vector1 Media, with cospeakers Peter South- individual building, but could

12 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 Helping You Build the Future New 64-bit compatible with more fl exible tools & time saving features!

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© 2012 IMSI/Design. All rights reserved. TurboCAD and the IMSI are trademarks of IMSI/Design, LLC. All other property of their respective holders. Images are intended only as general references to product use. TurboCAD is the number one best selling CAD brand in retail, based on NPD Group, Inc. data 2009. techtrends

“BIM is just newer,” Schlosser says. “Anybody who’s designing infrastructure [or] buildings will embrace the BIM process the same way that others have embraced GIS. They have to. We have to become more efficient at what we do. We have to plan our cities and our infrastructure more efficiently. “This whole idea of being sustain- able applies to the greater context as well — not just a specific project, but This University of Kentucky Building Analysis Map application was developed for analyzing facility age and condition, ADA in terms of how that data, space and departmental information, student registration data, and historical data. It combines data from multiple project relates to university systems and records including space, SAP, and spreadsheets. other projects, and how one city relates be about the behavior of that entire subdivision or campus. to another city, and how that road relates to the city. So, I It can model vehicular traffic [and] pipes in the ground and believe in BIM.” analyze the flow of water through the ground. If I increase the density of the neighborhood, how does that impact the pipe GIS Converts capacity — and can the treatment facility handle it? I look at Michelle Ellington is the GIS coordinator for the University of BIM as information modeling for the built environment,” he Kentucky (UK) in Lexington. She disagrees with Schlosser’s said. assessment of BIM. Although the university does use BIM Although GIS has been in use longer — Southwood says for design and construction, it transitions to GIS for the the first appearance of a GIS (albeit a paper-based one) was maintenance phase of the lifecycle. Ellington praises GIS for its in 1854 — Schlosser believes that BIM will catch up due to its ability to analyze information and integrate data from different robustness and data-processing capability. systems. UK’s approach is not a one-program- fits-all solution, she says. “We’re not converting everything to one world. We’re allowing each to be used for its strengths, and then publishing it with GIS.” She says that UK uses perhaps 15% of the information embedded in a BIM model, and that it becomes time- consuming and unwieldy to extract information from that model in a useful way. GIS, she believes, is a strategic investment because it allows the university to lever- age functions such as the single sign-on system. “If we have UK police log on to the system, they see police and crime information,” Ellington explains. “If we have parking transportation employees log in, they Today’s technology is making progress in the effort to coordinate BIM and GIS data. Autodesk see the parking and bus route information, Infrastructure Modeler calls on CAD, GIS, and BIM to show the impact of a proposed road- and they don’t see the crime. GIS allows widening project on surrounding neighborhoods. us to use this same graphical interface and

14 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 techtrends

tie into the many existing university systems and data, then publish it out to the users without interfering with normal business.” One major drawback with BIM, according to Ellington, is data translation. Ideally, facilities managers really want to bring the data into a single application, she says. For the university’s Esri GIS system, CAD data is displayed in its native file format. “I would love to do the same thing with BIM and with the BIM model, [but] I’m not aware of an easy way to do it. … I don’t see that the technologies have advanced enough for BIM to be consumed easily into GIS.” Safe Software’s Dale Lutz, cofounder © Crossrail Ltd. and vice-president of software development, says that’s going to change London’s Crossrail, currently the largest civil engineering project in Europe, demands an information soon. Today, he says, if someone uses platform that can easily deliver all manner of building and infrastructure data to members of the Autodesk Revit or Bentley Architecture, project team. they have to export the BIM data to IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format first, then import ect in Europe; upon completion it will link 37 commuter rail that into GIS. “Customers don’t like to make the IFC stop,” he stations, eight of them underground. explains, so Safe Software is developing a solution to transi- According to Zambuni, Crossrail is “federating this information data directly from Revit into a GIS database in its native tion so that they can access BIM models in the traditional way, format. but it can also find all the other information they need about the infrastructure, that either sits ideally in a BIM model or in a All Together Now GIS database.” With Bentley’s ProjectWise, Zambuni believes, Bentley Systems — which, like Autodesk, develops both BIM “They have the best of all possible worlds because they can and GIS applications — takes the approach that the two tech- get that geospatial data. They can get the BIM models. They nologies aren’t competitive, but rather complementary. “We can get all that other data that’s less structured and not suited would much more likely say BIM and GIS rather than BIM vs. to being rammed into a database.” GIS,” says Huw Roberts, global marketing director, Building, Structural, and Core Product. Convergence in Sight “It’s a question of the scale [and detail] you’re operating at,” With all these varying viewpoints about BIM and GIS, it’s hard adds Richard Zambuni, global marketing director, Geospatial to find consensus, but one key thread emerged in my research: and Utilities. Zambuni says that when you’re talking about In the next few years, we will see a convergence of these a BIM model, you’re really talking about navigation within a tools. Although that doesn’t necessarily mean that one system building. For GIS, on the other hand, you’re looking at the combining CAD, GIS, and BIM will come into existence, we high-level geospatial view of a city, and everything in between. should expect that a solid toolset will enter the market that “The way that people want to manage infrastructure of dif- allows for easy data translation and optimizes the capabilities ferent classes is to really be able to operate on GIS and BIM as of the separate programs and processes. Safe Software’s Lutz a continuum, and it’s just a question of what type of informa- says, “I think that’s a growth area for us, and the industry … tion you need, and therefore which is the access point that’s is going to need more and better solutions. I think a variety of most appropriate,” Zambuni believes. companies are going to be coming out with ways to address Not surprisingly, Roberts and Zambuni believe that Project- this pain point over the next few years.” Wise, Bentley’s collaboration platform, is the best option for Putting it in terms of benefit to owners and the design and reconciling BIM and GIS. Zambuni believes that when owners engineering community, Schlosser concludes, “That whole get into operations and maintenance workflows, it doesn’t idea of BIM and GIS converging leads to better analysis and matter whether they’re trying to get all the data into a classic better simulation.” information model or running everything into a GIS database. In the end, it will amount to a huge step toward where we It’s never enough, he says, because “you have the type of data all want to be. that doesn’t really submit to being rammed into one master database. What you need to be able to do is to federate that Cadalyst contributing editor Heather Livingston is a data, index it, and navigate it spatially.” Wichita, Kansas–based freelance writer specializing in As an example, Zambuni cites the Crossrail project, which design, sustainability, and architectural technology. She also is creating 21 km of new twin-bore tunnels under central works with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering London. Crossrail presently is the largest civil engineering proj- of the American Hospital Association.

Spring 2012 cadalyst www.cadalyst.com 15 cadalystlabsreport

CAD at Your Fingertips Handheld devices and a rapidly expanding selection of apps are usurping laptops for access to data from virtually any location. Take CAD into the field for better coordination, collaboration, and presentations.

by Heather Livingston are no longer bound to their offices. But laptops can be cumbersome, they require a Wi-Fi network n the 1960s, Intel cofounder Gordon Moore to connect with others — and they only offer flex- predicted that the number of transistors ibility in where you work, not how. incorporated in a chip would approximately All that has changed over the past two years I double every 24 months. Over time, what’s thanks to the explosion in popularity of handheld become known as Moore’s Law has been revised devices and the growing number of CAD apps that to double computer chip capacity every 18 months run on them. These applications are being devel- and expanded to apply to technologies such as oped by established software companies including CAD. This rapid growth of chip capacity is the force behind the increasingly powerful hardware and software we have at our fingertips today. During the past decade, these technological improvements have spurred tremendous changes in the way design professionals work. No longer is the traditional design–bid–build progression relevant for most AEC projects. Integrated project delivery (IPD) and building information modeling (BIM) have introduced new processes for design teams along with new software. Technologies that were consid- ered optional when they were introduced — such as 3D design, BIM, geospatial information systems and mapping, and wireless printing — are now a critical part of today’s integrated design processes. Many clients have come to expect the benefits of these technologies as well, from the cost and time efficiencies gained through BIM and IPD to photo-

realistic design renderings and even animated Image courtesy of Bentley Systems presentations. Mobile CAD goes where work needs to be done. This field The latest step in this evolution has been to take worker is using Bentley’s iPad apps on site. these tools on the road, enabling design files to be accessed, modified, and shared from virtually Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Newforma, Dassault any location using a tablet or smartphone. True to Systèmes, and Robert McNeel and Associates, as A contractor views Moore’s Law, new mobile apps are arriving on the well as newer, niche companies such as CadFaster, CAD drawings scene with increasing frequency, each one more Simulation Lab Software, and Maide that are of a project on powerful than the last. Welcome to the world of filling market needs left unmet by the larger AutoCAD WS, and mobile CAD. providers. What was recently a nascent trend is is able to make real-time edits quickly becoming mainstream. In fact, a report on and markups to What Is Mobile CAD? cloud trends by research firm IDC predicted that share with team You might be wondering what all the fuss is about. 46% of all professionals will be mobile-only by members in other In a sense, CAD has been mobile for a long time. 2014 (according to Steve Blum, Autodesk senior locations. After all, laptops are mobile by definition, and file- vice-president of worldwide sales and services, in Image courtesy of Autodesk sharing technologies such as Citrix mean CAD users an a presentation to the media in late 2011).

17 cadalystlabsreport

A Bit about the Cloud Cloud technology is the enabling force that’s allowing CAD users to become mobile-only. Shanna Tellerman, product line manager for Autodesk Cloud Services and Applications, explains, “The cloud streamlines information and allows people to manage large volumes of data.” The complex nature of the design and construction process means many different people are responsible for particular pieces of a given project, and keeping everyone up-to-date is a huge challenge. The ideal solution has yet to emerge, Tellerman says, but that’s changing. “The promise of the cloud is actually providing a single source of data — or a ‘single source of truth’ — that all of the collaborators are referring back to,” Tellerman states. “As new pieces of information are added, it’s automatically updated in the model that’s living in the cloud. That single source of Image courtesy of Autodesk Kris McDonald of Hall Engineering Company creates architectural truth is what everybody is referring to [throughout the design drawings such as this using only AutoCAD WS for iPad. He drafts process].” The collaborative nature of the cloud is what makes live and on site, using an EDM surveying transit to shoot points at mobile feasible for multi-user projects. Without the cloud, various locations within the building, then importing them into the WS project versioning and data synchronization problems can drawing. From there, he adds all linework within the app. undermine success. Data security, however, is a big concern for design and which lets users open and edit DWG files via an iOS or engineering firms considering cloud-based CAD services. Fears Android device or via a web browser from any computer, about protecting designs and other intellectual property give manage and edit drawing files, plot to PDF or DWF, and share pause to professionals in AEC as well as manufacturing, but those drawings with others. Tellerman believes that as cloud adoption grows organically, its Before the introduction of AutoCAD WS, McDonald relied acceptance as a secure option also will increase. She predicts on his HP50 calculator and a data collector for doing field that users quickly will become more comfortable saving calculations. “I was looking for an opportunity to speed up proprietary design data in the cloud, just as we’ve become the process of doing math in the field,” he explains. Instead of accustomed to file-sharing on Box, a popular cloud service, “having to save points and come back into the office, open up and online banking, which saves the most critical personal CAD, and do a bunch of linework,” McDonald now can gather data in the cloud. data in the field and use his iPad on location to directly upload Huw Roberts, global marketing director for Bentley that data to the original file. Systems, believes that the best solution for most building and “Surveying requires quite a bit of walking [and] sometimes infrastructure design projects at this point in time is to use a finding concrete monuments or different section corners hybrid file storage environment. “There’s some information throughout a mile or two of land,” he says. “Using my iPad, I that you definitely want to keep locked tight behind your can pull up that information right in the field and it gives me firewall, so there’s no access to it, and there’s some informa- benchmarks on where existing stuff is, and I can measure how tion that you want as open and public as possible,” Roberts far to go to look for other section corners and other conve- explains. As cloud technology and mobile CAD continue to nient opportunities like that.” push into mainstream AEC practices, he believes that firms In the past, McDonald tried using a laptop in the field. It will want to use a combination of local area networks (LANs), worked “fine,” he says, but it wasn’t ideal. In the end, using Internet services, and cloud host- the laptop required that he return first to his truck to record For more information ing to protect and share data, while the bulk of the calculations, then to his office to upload and on cloud technology, retaining the ability to easily move reconcile the data to the file — duplicating effort and creating read “No More Cloudy Days,” by that information around. opportunities for mistakes. Now, before he heads out to a job Robert Green, on Projects that are in the early site, McDonald downloads the most recent survey information p. 32. stages of design still may be very into AutoCAD WS. Once on site, he can access and update the private and internal, Roberts says, information quickly and easily, and because he’s recording the but as they come under review, they will move out to larger calculations in real time, there are fewer opportunities for data audiences and, in some cases, public review. “That hybrid envi- to become corrupted. ronment of cloud, server, local computer, and mobile device is “Just carrying my iPad — whipping that out and doing the foreseeable future for everybody,” he believes. some linework — is far more practical than trying to lug a laptop someplace,” he says. McDonald also appreciates that Why an iPad? A Civil Engineer’s Perspective because he can access his project files via the iPad, he is For Kris McDonald, a civil engineering technician with Hall spared the hassle of carrying D-size plan sets to the site. Engineering Company in Centerville, Iowa, the benefit of In addition to AutoCAD WS, McDonald relies on mobile working on a mobile device is, hands-down, its ease of use. applications such as iGIS, which lets users create and export His mobile app of choice is AutoCAD WS from Autodesk, spatial data and embed it in a Google Maps background; Box

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transition to mobile CAD in this way: “Having access to your blueprint or having access to your model in your phone — that’s a massive benefit.” Light is using his mobile devices for 40% of his work. He is fully set up to work remotely and divides his time between home and various HOK locations. “I’m fully mobile,” he says. “What that basically means is that I can get access to anything, anytime, anywhere. ... We have deployed Citrix within our business [for accessing server- based files from any device and location] and see that moving forward to be very, very important.” Coordination. In today’s design environment, project stake- holders are commonly spread across cities, states, and countries. For a large, international firm such as HOK, coordination

Image courtesy of Bentley Systems among its offices and project team members is essential. With Bentley’s Navigator for iPad app, designers can review design Mobile CAD is a becoming an inexpensive and easy way to models on the job site. meet that requirement. Asynchronous sharing — the ability for multiple users to or Dropbox for file sharing; GoodReader for PDF viewing; and simultaneously share and alter a file on multiple devices — is remote-access apps such as LogMeIn. mobile CAD’s payoff for HOK, which benefits from tremen- One of the biggest surprises for McDonald in transition- dously enhanced coordination capabilities. Now, multiple ing to mobile CAD was how simple it was to begin using the players can view and manipulate design data at the same applications. Creating an account, uploading drawings to time by way of different devices, regardless of geography the app, and accessing them on a mobile device is extremely geography, and because all of the data is saved to the cloud simple, he says. “It doesn’t take a bunch of complex finagling instantaneously, version control becomes a non-issue. Campo to get it to work. It’s been a very simple implementation.” echoes Autodesk’s Tellerman in saying that having that cloud- “The real advantage to AutoCAD WS right now for civil based single source of up-to-date data for all project members projects is when you’re done with the project [preliminaries], to reference is a tremendous benefit of mobile CAD. you can upload a whole plan set to your iPad. … You can Presentation. Finally, using an iPad for client presentations make all of your as-built corrections or field notes right is a powerful tool for HOK, says Campo. The dynamic viewing within the drawing and it’s automatically saved to the cloud,” opportunities of tablets give the firm a slick, fun way to pres- states McDonald. “You can go back to the office and print ent their body of work. Plus, the device lets clients hold and out the final set when the project’s complete. Right now, where the framework of AutoCAD WS is, that’s the most FINGERTIPS continued on page 24 advantageous part.” Architects Weigh In Tag This! For architect William Campo and BIM Manager David Light, RFID plus mobile devices help users locate utilities. both based in HOK’s London office, the benefits of using Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communica- mobile devices for CAD work are threefold: great accessibility, tions (NFC) are two of the fastest-growing trends in mobile tech- coordination, and presentation capabilities. nology. For the past few years, RFID tags have been used with Campo, a project coordinator, uses Autodesk’s Design great success to manage the materials supply chain on design and Review Mobile for viewing and redlining 2D and 3D DWF construction projects. A new use that’s having a big impact in the files. He can zoom, pan, and rotate drawings — which clients AEC profession is RFID utility tags. appreciate — plus insert text and comments in the design. He Intelligent Trench is one underground mapping solution based also is interested in exploring Bentley’s Navigator app for 3D on RFID technology. Users bury RFID tag balls with existing or new viewing and editing, and ProjectWise for content management underground utilities, then later can use a mobile reader to locate a tag ball and a GPS PDA to access records that indicate which utilities and collaboration. are present. The technology can track which work is done where Light is a fan of the CadFaster software solution and com- and by whom as well as reduce the need for exploratory digs. panion iPad app, which work with Revit, MicroStation, and One of the first major projects to use RFID tag technology SolidWorks models to enable live file viewing and markup was the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport. In 2006, the project between multiple iPad users, supporting every stage of the deployed more than 1,000 RFID tag balls around a new runway. design process. The devices allow the FAA, Hartsfield employees, and utility work- Accessibility. Both Campo and Light consider themselves ers to use mobile readers to locate utilities and determine infra- to be completely mobile. Although Campo still relies on his structure type. laptop for most CAD design work, he estimates that he spends Though there are not yet many smartphone apps supporting this 30% of his time working on his iPad and Android phone. trend, there are a few, including ReadRFID from Timerot. However, with the demand for RFID technology growing, the number of However, he expects the percentage of time spent on his iPad apps available is sure to increase quickly. to increase quickly. Campo summed up the purpose behind his

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iOS and Android Apps for Mobile CAD Users Following is a sampling of AutoCAD WS GIS/Mapping from Jgytec from Novatek mobile apps available for CAD View, edit, and share DWG 2.99 iPad/iPhone Free iPhone CARTOMAP CAD and GIS users. files, from Autodesk Create, read, edit, send, and Design Dimensions iCAD Professional Free iPad/iPhone/Android AEC/Civil Engineering receive DWG/DXF/CTM files, Visual database of common View and share CAD and 3D AutoQ3D CAD references, from Arc Mist models, from Novatek 3D Interior Room Design from ANEBA Geoinformatica Create 2D and 3D technical Free Android 59.99 iPhone Residential interior design, from 19.99 iPad/iPhone drawings, from AutoQ3D Team HB Conception Virtuelle Droid 2 CAD Design Dimensions Pro Inventor Publisher Viewer 30.00 Android 4.79 Android Capture and export points Visual database of common View 3D assembly instructions BoomCAD references, from Arc Mist created with Autodesk Inventor ArchiMeasure or locations using GPS, from Create CAD drawings, from 4.99 Android Publisher, from Autodesk Create rooms and surfaces, QubeCAD Audio Artillery Free iPad/iPhone/Android from GSP Holdings Free Android iSpecs UDOT 1.99 iPad/iPhone 3.99 iPad/iPhone iGIS UDOT 2008 Standard Specifica- cadTouch R2 tions for road and bridge con- Bentley Navigator Load, view, investigate, create, iRhino 3D Create floorplans, land sur- struction, from Tibberts for the iPad and export spatial data over a View native Rhino 3DM faces, façades, mechanical or 4.99 iPad/iPhone Mobile version of Bentley Navi- background of Google Maps files, from Robert McNeel structural parts, diagrams, field gator V8i desktop software, imagery, from Geometry & Associates notes, from neoDev from Bentley Systems Free iPad/iPhone 3.99 iPad/iPhone 14.99 iPad/iPhone Tips and Training Free iPad iMapIt Lite iXVL View CADView 3DS - Dassault Systèmes ProjectWise Explorer Map, survey, and measure 3D viewer that displays XVL View and print CAD draw- View news, events, blog posts, for the iPad places, from Marcus Silva files, from Lattice Technology ings created in FastCAD and customer stories, and videos, Mobile version of Bentley Pro- Free iPad/iPhone Free iPad/iPhone EasyCAD, from CADView from Dassault Systèmes jectWise Explorer collaboration iMapIt Pro Free iPad/iPhone Free iPad/iPhone JT View 3D software, from Bentley Systems Map, survey, and measure 3D JT data file viewer, from AutoCAD Q&A Free iPad Design Review Mobile places, from Marcus Silva Afanche Technologies Review Autodesk 2D and 3D AutoCAD questions and Home Design 3D by LiveCad 2.99 iPad/iPhone 2.99 Android design files, from Autodesk answers, from Patrick Emin Create, layout, design, and Free iPad/iPhone/Android Free Android Large Viewer view home plans, from Anu- View documents exceeding MCAD Google SketchUp Cookbook man FingerCAD 48” x 36” or 100 pages, from Tutorials for solving design 7.99 iPad/iPhone CAD drawing using your iCircuit Corporate Smalltalk Consulting fingers, from FingerCAD Design circuits, from Krueger problems, from O’Reilly Media Home Design Interior Space 9.99 iPad/iPhone 5.99 iPad/iPhone Systems 6.99 iPad/iPhone/4.99 Planning Tool 9.99 iPad/iPhone Android nvDXF Lite Interior design and space plan- GraphPad DXF file viewer, from Novel Learn AutoCAD 2011 ning, from M.O.C. Interior Engineering drawing applica- Sketcher 3D Pro CAE Solutions Quickly and Easily Designer tion, from Robert Shawhan 3D modeling, design, and Free iPad/iPhone 1.99 iPad 2.99 iPhone physics, from Doktor3D Training course, from Infinite Skills on-hand viewer lite GstarCAD MC 0.99 Android HVAC Duct Sizer 9.99 iPad/iPhone/Android Download and view 3D data Duct sizing analysis, from View, create, annotate, edit, from FTP server, from MWF- Learn SolidWorks 2011 Carmel Software and share drawings, from Technology Modeling Quickly and Easily 6.99 iPad/iPhone/Android Suzhou Gstarsoft Free iPad/iPhone Free iPad/iPhone 3DSurfScan Training course, from Infinite MagicPlan View, create, modify, and Skills Palette MOVE iDesign Measures, draws, and pub- export 3D surface models, from 9.99 iPad/iPhone Presents Palette CAD files in 2D vector drawing and design lishes interactive floor plans NeoTrux Systems virtual reality, from Palette CAD TouchAware SolidWorks AP using pictures, from Sensopia 3.99 iPad/iPhone Free iPad/iPhone/Android Free iPad/iPhone 4.99 iPad/iPhone Learn about SolidWorks, from Frame design 2D Bliss Software RapidCAD Viewer Inard Quick3DPlan Mobile 2D linear analysis FEM applica- Free iPad/iPhone AutoCAD DXF file viewer, Create CAD drawings, from Draw a room, from Microcad tion, from CloudConstruc from Binary Mobility Pär Steffansson SolidWorks Tips Daily Software Free Android 9.99 Android 2.99 iPad/iPhone 19.95 Android Video tutorials and tips, from Glovius SolidWorks Tips SimLab 3D STL Viewer iPocket Draw RedStick Site CAD Interact with 3D models, from Free Android View 3D models in STL files, Vector drawing program, from Measure using a Bluetooth- Geometric from Simulation Lab Software adX enabled laser device or a tape, 9.99 iPad/iPhone/Android 1.99 iPad/iPhone from Spatial 11.99 iPad/iPhone Viewers NaviCAD STL View 3D 57.76 Android SitePAD CadFaster Access the Google 3D Ware- 3D solid model STL file viewer, Create, manage, and integrate View, share, mark up, and co- Room Design house from your mobile device, from Afanche Technologies CAD files remotely, from Fresh view Revit, MicroStation, and Interior design and home from Charles Han 2.99 Android Design Base SolidWorks models stored in remodeling, from Magichour 0.99 iPad/iPhone 3.99 iPad/iPhone £6.99 iPad/iPhone your CadFaster 3D model box, STL Viewer from Cadfaster Download/view STL files, from Site-CAD SketchBook Mobile Free iPad Micro Systems Engineering Draw site plans and save as Painting and drawing applica- Reference 2.99 iPad/iPhone DXF, from Key Systems tion, from Autodesk ARCAT CadRemote 7.00 Android 1.99 iPad/iPhone/Android Interact with 3D models, from STL Viewer Pro Libraries for CAD details, BIM Point cloud viewer and STL file SketchBook Mobile Express content, and specifications, Maide Free iPad/iPhone viewer, from Architecture3D Painting and drawing applica- from ARCAT Free Android Design/Edit/Annotate tion, from Autodesk Free iPad/iPhone Drawvis Free AndCAD Free Android View AutoCAD DXF files, from TurboViewer AutoCAD Engineering 2D/3D native DWG viewer, Create and edit DXF drawings, SketchBook Pro Scale Factor DOT Systems from Talon Designs Free iPad/iPhone from IMSI/Design Painting and drawing applica- Scale objects, parts of objects, Free iPad/iPhone/Android 34.99 Android tion, from Autodesk or one dimension of an object, DXF Viewer 3D ApliCAD WMS 4.99 Android from Jgytec 3D solid model DXF file viewer, TurboViewer Pro Connect to WMS server, from 1.99 iPad/iPhone from Afanche Technologies Additional functionality from vueCAD free TurboViewer app with ApliCAD CAD viewer, 3D visualization AutoCAD Scale Factor 2.99 iPad/iPhone/Android Free iPad/iPhone hidden line, x-ray, shaded, and mark-up, from Titansan Full Version iCAD Free layer management, and more, Engineering Scale objects, parts of objects, View CAD and 3D models, from IMSI/Design 9.99 iPad/iPhone or one dimension of an object, 24.99 iPad/iPhone/Android

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FINGERTIPS continued from page 20

manipulate the design in a way that was never before possible. “We’ve done presentations to clients, bringing in an iPad and pulling out a model the client can touch and spin around,” Campo says. The touch-screen technology, coupled with BIM’s embedded properties in the model, provides HOK a very clear way to help the client understand what BIM is about, Campo believes. “It’s very easy to show a client — even easier than having a laptop — and that is the main difference.” Sometimes, says Campo, HOK wants to offer clients a model they can “slice and dice” and review from every angle. In most cases, the client doesn’t have the skill set necessary to operate

software platforms such as NavisWorks, Revit, and MicroStation, Image courtesy of Autodesk but mobile CAD gives them the ability to digitally manipulate Using AutoCAD WS, users can share drawings and update details via mobile devices. design drawings with the touch of a finger, Campo explains. Such interactivity certainly delivers the “Wow” factor to the those professionals who still prefer pen and paper are able to client, but more importantly, it also helps them understand how enjoy using a tablet PC or smartphone and will discover conve- a 2D plan translates to their 3D building. niences of the technology. A Few Drawbacks. Both Campo and Light believe that, McDonald, the civil engineer, adds, “It’s important to stress right now, the greatest challenge of working on CAD via the simplicity of AutoCAD WS. A lot of people that I know mobile devices is that they don’t have enough battery power. in the engineering business shy away from technology,” he Ultimately, the battery drain imposed by generating 2D and 3D explains. “They use what works — and what has worked drawings on tablets is probably what will keep them from sur- for years and years — without necessarily caring about the passing laptops in the mobile workflow for a few more years. efficiencies created by new technology.” He believes that it’s In the meantime, Campo resolves the power problem by important for all design professionals to understand that using keeping spare batteries fully charged so he can swap them out mobile CAD is simple. He’s encouraged by AutoCAD WS, and at a moment’s notice. Light’s approach is to swap devices. he hopes that more people begin using it in their daily work- Neither solution is optimal, of course. flow because it will further develop the software and make it a Other issues with ditching the desktop or laptop in favor of better product for everyone. a tablet include the difficulty of dragging and dropping with- Both Autodesk and Bentley indicated that although their out a mouse or trackpad, and learning to use an on-screen current mobile strategies and offerings result from the combi- keyboard. Wireless keyboards are available for use with tab- nation of present and anticipated demand, they are working to lets, but those, too, have limitations and inconveniences. rapidly increase the variety and functionality of apps they offer for iOS and Android devices. Multi-generational Appeal All parties interviewed believe that for now, doing 100% With mobile apps available for 2D and 3D work, even those of CAD work via mobile device is probably unrealistic, but as firms that never intend to transition to 3D can — and are — McDonald says, “each version is getting better and better.” embracing the efficiencies made possible by CAD applications Bentley’s Roberts adds, “Once the light bulb goes off and the in smart phones and tablets. Light notes that he has witnessed user figures out the value, [use] snowballs really quickly. ... If leaders of some AEC firms who have not become fully com- people are already using ProjectWise or Structural ISM, adding fortable using the Windows operating system, but when given the ProjectWise app or the Structural View app is an obvious an iPad, they “were off and running in seconds.” Because and natural extension of what they do.” Ultimately, it’s just of the intuitive nature of the touch-screen technology, even one more tool in the toolbox. “It’s not so much the mobile device,” Roberts continues. “The hardware is not the point. The point is the information In This Article you can get to. Can you get the information you need to make Autodesk Dassault Systèmes LogMeIn the decision you want to make right now? And can you trust it autodesk.com 3ds.com logmein.com and be confident that it’s the right information and that you didn’t leave something out that Fred has over in England? Bentley Dropbox Maide bentley.com dropbox.com maideinc.com That’s where the real potential is, and what it’s all for. It’s about getting you the information so you can do your job Box Newforma Robert McNeel & better, faster, and right now.” box.com newforma.com Associates rhino3d.com CadFaster Intelligent Trench Cadalyst contributing editor Heather Livingston is a cadfaster.com intelligenttrench. Simulation Lab Wichita, Kansas–based freelance writer specializing in com Citrix Software design, sustainability, and architectural technology. She also simlab-soft.com citrix.com works with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association.

24 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 DARING DESIGNS TAKE FLIGHT

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DARE TO ENTER *SPEC® and the benchmark name SPECviewperf® are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. Competitive benchmark results stated above reﬂ ect results published on www.spec.org as of August 16th, 2010. The comparison presented above is based on SCAN WITH ANY SMART DEVICE OR current generation NVIDIA Quadro GPUs (5000, 4000, 2000) compared to previous generation NVIDIA Quadro GPUs (FX4800, FX4600, FX3800, FX3700, VISIT WWW.BESTFORCAD.COM FX1800, FX1700) in standard industry ﬁ xed workstations representative of when each particular graphics product was launched. n, n-1: Resolution of 1900 x 1200, Windows Win 7, 64 Bit, System 1P XEON 3.3GHz, 6GB Memory. n-2: Resolution of 1900 x 1200, WinXP x64, 1x 3GHz Core2 Quad (QX9650) 4GB. For the latest SPECviewperf® benchmark results, visit www.spec.org/gwpg.

© 2012 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, Maximus, Tesla and Quadro are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation. All company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. firstlook By Art Liddle

Xi MTower PCIe Workstation Beefy desktop machine delivers top CAD performance

or more than 20 years, @Xi Computer has been designing workstations for CAD users, and during that time the company has devel- F oped a reputation for delivering real value. The latest Xi MTower PCIe workstation reviewed in Cadalyst Labs holds true to that tradition. System Features Large and unusual-looking tower cases are popular among desktop workstations of late, and this Xi MTower PCIe workstation is a prime example. The all-black CM Storm Trooper Quiet High Ven- tilationtilat tower measures 9.5” x 23.75” x 22.5” (WxHxD) — the largest we’ve seen in Cadalyst Labs — and is visually striking, with a motif suggestive of Star Wars. As its name implies, it is quiet, despite the fact that it is cooled by three dedicatedd fans, including one mon- sterste fan (7.5” diameter) on top. All six sides of the tower feature metal mesh for ventilation. A sturdy, integrated handle lets you get a firm grip on this 44-lb unit. At the heart of the Xi MTower PCIe sits an Intel i5 2500K quad-core processor (3.3 GHz; 6-MB L3 cache) overclocked to 4.5 GHz. A Corsair silent, sealed water- The Xi MTower PCIe workstation is big, powerful, and well appointed. cooling system, which includes its own fan and mini-radiator, keeps the CPU cool. In keeping with its large case, the Xi system memory. After accounting for the graphics card and a MTower PCIe includes a Corsair TX850 Ultra-Quiet power second slot that it effectively blocks, five slots remain available supply (minimum 80% efficiency). The whopping 850 watts for expansion cards: one PCIe 2.0 x 16 slot (x16), one PCIe 2.0 of power it provides should handle virtually any add-ons you x 16 slot (x4), one PCIe 2.0 x 1 slot, and two PCI slots. might require. The graphics subsystem of the Xi MTower PCIe is powered The ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe motherboard has four dual- by an NVIDIA Quadro 4000 graphics card (2 GB of GDDR5 channel DIMM sockets. A pair of 8-GB DDR3 1866-MHz RAM) and includes one dual-link DVI-I port and two Display- DIMMs, equipped with Corsair heat spreads, provide 16 GB of Port connections, as well as a 3D stereo (3-pin mini-DIN) jack. With this configuration, you can run two simultaneous displays Xi MTower PCIe at a maximum resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 with 32-bit color. The system is equipped with three drives: a Western Quad-Core Desktop Workstation A Digital SATA hard drive (7,200 rpm) that provides 1,000 GB of Pros: Excellent performance, competitive price, fully loaded, data storage; a Corsair 60-GB solid-state drive that enhances enormous expansion capacity. file-reading performance by intelligently caching frequently Cons: None significant. accessed data; and a DVD+RW/DL+/-R/CD-RW 18x optical Price: Starting at $1,119; as configured, $3,105 (delivered) drive. Eleven empty slots are available for expansion, including @Xi Computer one 5.25” bay, seven 3.5” bays, and three 2.5” bays. 800.432.0486 Don’t worry about running out of external connections www.xicomputer.com with the Xi MTower PCIe. Located high on the front face

26 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 J `QR%H1J$ .V :]]8

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#H:J `Q` 7Q%` ``VV RQ1JCQ:R8 firstlook

of the tower — allowing for easy access — are five USB 2.0 workstation were incredible. Running c2011 with AutoCAD ports, two USB 3.0 ports, two eSATA ports, assorted memory 2011 and the NVIDIA enhanced driver, the scores were as card slots, a 5V DC power plug, and microphone and head- follows: total index of 1,482, 3D graphics index of 4,864, phone jacks, plus the power and reset buttons. Located at the 2D graphics index of 439, disk index of 274, and CPU index rear of the tower are six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, of 352. These scores are the highest we’ve seen to date for a one eSATA port, one Gigabit Ethernet port, one optical S/PDIF workstation in Cadalyst Labs. audio-out connector, a Bluetooth v2.1 module, and a set of 7.1 The scores for the SPECviewperf 11 suite of tests were HD audio jacks. of similar caliber, with three of its scores earning top hon- Other features include an integrated sound card, Logitech ors as indicated. The weighted scores, single-sample mode Deluxe Windows keyboard, and Logitech 2x optical wheel only, were as follows: 47.29 for catia-03 (No. 1), 32.43 for mouse. The operating system is Microsoft Windows 7 Profes- ensight-04, 73.68 for lightwave-01, 48.93 for maya-03, 15.59 sional Edition 64-bit, with DVD included. for proe-05 (No. 1), 57.12 for sw-02 (No. 1), 38.41 for tcvis-02, and 34.03 for snx-01. Performance Next up are scores using the default AutoCAD driver. We’ll We measured the Xi MTower PCIe’s performance with our start with the AutoCAD 2011 and c2011 benchmark combina- usual suite of three tests: the Cadalyst c2011 v5.3b benchmark tion: total index of 567, 3D graphics index of 1,198, 2D graph- with AutoCAD 2011 and its default driver; Cadalyst c2011 ics index of 453, disk index of 275, and CPU index of 340. with AutoCAD 2011 and NVIDIA’s enhanced driver; and Using the Cadalyst c2012 benchmark for the first time in SPECviewperf 11. In addition, for the first time, we included a formal review, we ran AutoCAD 2012 with its native driver; the results running Cadalyst c2012 with AutoCAD 2012. NVIDIA’s enhanced driver does not support AutoCAD 2012. Per our standards, we set the screen resolution to 1,280 The results were as follows: total index of 546, 3D graphics x 1,024 and the color depth to 32-bit. We enabled hardware index of 1,043, 2D graphics index of 485, disk index of 301, acceleration for AutoCAD and turned off vertical sync for the and CPU index of 355. Going forward, we will test work- graphics card. station performance using the c2012 benchmark and Auto- Based on our extensive experience with @Xi Computer, we CAD 2012 combination. We include both sets of numbers here weren’t surprised that the benchmark numbers for its latest for future reference. While we’re on the subject of performance, let’s address the topic of overclocking the CPU. The Xi MTower PCIe’s water-based cooling system is designed to maintain an acceptable temperature for the CPU and other components on the motherboard. In the lab, we did a stress test by running our c2012 benchmark continuously for five days (800 iterations). This literally works the CPU, memory, and graphics card continuously at full throttle. The Xi MTower PCIe performed flawlessly throughout the test. Of course, there is no way to be certain how the overclocking will affect the CPU in the long run. Bottom Line The Xi MTower PCIe carries a base price of $1,119. As configured for this review, the price is $2,994 ($3,105.45 with ground shipping). This price includes a three-year hardware warranty including parts and labor, express advance parts replacement, and return shipping costs. The first three years of technical support is free, and @Xi Computer includes a 30-day, money-back guarantee (excluding software). The Xi MTower PCIe has everything you need to get serious work done today and ample expansion capacity to support whatever needs may arise tomorrow. Thanks to its competitive pricing and superb performance, the Xi MTower PCIe offers exceptional value. Highly Recommended.

Art Liddle is a former editor-in-chief of Cadalyst. He currently lives in Eugene, Oregon, and teaches physics at Springfield High School.

28 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 ™ The professional mobile 2D & 3D .DWG viewer app optimized for speed & simplicity!

TurboViewer™ is the lightning-fast drawing viewer with powerful capabilities... the fi rst and only native DWG™ viewer that supports both 2D and 3D.

Now available for Mac iOS as well as Android. Enjoy smooth multi-touch navigation as you pan, zoom, and 3D orbit eff ortlessly around your CAD fi les. A variety of visual styles include wireframe, hidden line, x-ray, shaded, and shaded without outline. In addition TurboViewer has well-designed capabilities, such as restoring saved AutoCAD® views, 2D or 3D drawing autosense, and canceling errant fi le loads midstream. We know you’ll soon agree that TurboViewer may very well become your most important design app!

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© 2011 IMSI/Design, LLC. All rights reserved. TurboViewer is a trademark of IMSI/Design, LLC. All rights reserved. DWG is the native fi le format for Autodesk’s AutoCAD® software and is a trademark of Autodesk®, Inc. All rights reserved. firstlook By R.K. McSwain

CadTempo 5.2 Automatically track and chart time spent using popular CAD applications, Microsoft Office, and more.

adTempo, a software application from Rockford, Illinois–based Engineered Design Solutions, tracks working time in popular CAD applications includ- C ing AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, ArchiCAD, Inventor, Inventor Fusion, 123D, MicroStation, Pro/ENGINEER, Revit, Rhino 4.0, SolidWorks, SketchUp, and 3ds Max. It also can track working time in Microsoft Word and Excel, and Corel Word Perfect and Quattro Pro. CadTempo automatically records who accesses a document, how long the document is open, and how much time is spent editing it. CadTempo runs independently of the monitored applications and thereby prevents software integration problems. I reviewed a single-user version of Cad- TempoT 5.2, tracking activity in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, and Microsoft Word. During the very easy installation process, The CadTempo View component lets users analyze collected data. Here, the the program prompts you to select appli- Files tab is selected, displaying time spent working on given files. cations or file types (such as DOC and DXF) that you would like to monitor automatically.m AutoCAD is selected by default. When you launch a monitored application, the CadTempo Task Timer also starts and presents a dialog box where you can confirm the default task name and user (or modify them) and, optionally, add details about the task in the Additional Task Info field. You can also start the Task Timer manually. When you end a monitored application, CadTempo prompts you to save that task or continue tracking. As an example, if you close your CAD application and are going to reopen it, you might want to continue tracking rather than stopping and starting a new task. The CadTempo Display Timer lets you view a summary of the current task with elapsed time. The Activity Timer is similar to the Task Timer, except Under the Session tab in CadTempo View, you can analyze user activity during it records time spent away from the computer. You can a given time period. choose from activities such as Customer Visit, Lunch, or Phone Call, or create your own. If enabled, the Activ- ity Timer will prompt you for CadTempo 5.2 the activity name Automatic time tracking A after a predeter- mined amount of The Task Timer can appear automatically when a Pros: Easy to install and use right away. inactive time, as supported application is launched. Cons: Time required to learn the many reporting tools and options. specified in the Price: $49.95; discounts for multiple licenses. program options. Engineering Design Solutions After you start tracking time, you can use the CadTempo 815.200.8814 www.cadtempo.com View component to analyze the collected data. Start with the CADTEMPO, continued on page 37

30 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 Dell recommends Windows® 7 Professional. It turns out you can simulate success.

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Image courtesy of Mammoth-WEBCO, Inc. and Autodesk®. AutoCAD® Inventor® Suite and Autodesk® 3ds Max® software products were used in the design process. * Graphics & System Memory: GB means 1 billion bytes and TB equals 1 trillion bytes; signiﬁ cant system memory may be used to support graphics, depending on system memory size and other factors. Hard Drive: GB means 1-billion bytes and TB equals 1-trillion bytes; actual capacity varies with preloaded material and operating environment and will be less. 4GB or More of Memory: 4GB or greater system memory capability: A 64-bit operating system is required to support 4GB or more of system memory. TRADEMARK/COPYRIGHT NOTICES: Ultrabook, Celeron, Celeron Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. cadmanager By Robert Green

No More Cloudy Days Slice through the hype and determine how cloud technology can work for you. © iStockphoto.com/Johan Swanepoel

ou can’t turn on the TV these days without seeing clouds are already in wide use to support traveling a Microsoft advertisement for “the cloud,” and we employees. What’s cloudy about VPNs is that they rely all know that the CAD industry is replete with cloud on the Internet to glue everything together. Y hype as well. Despite all this buzz, many CAD users t Application software installed at one branch office, and senior management teams have no clue about what the shared by workers at another branch office. Think of a cloud really is. All CAD managers, however, should understand small branch office running a complex building energy– this technology trend and be ready to explain what cloud CAD analysis job on the main office’s machine via remote could mean for our companies. control, and you’ve got the picture. The cloudy part here In this installment of “CAD Manager,” I’ll slice through the is software shared via an Internet connection. hype, dispel cloud myths, discuss cloud tools and how they t Remote teams working on CAD data stored on a leased can support CAD teams, and give you some practical ways to server. Here, a third-party provider supplies server determine whether CAD on the cloud makes sense for your equipment so the company’s IT department doesn’t company. Here goes. have to. A further benefit is that your company’s Internet connection isn’t affected by the remote team’s Debunking the Cloud data traffic, because the team is using the remote serv- So, what is the cloud? I define it as a collection of servers, er’s Internet “pipes.” This is cloudy because it’s using workstations, software, and users that are connected by a network connectivity and storage that doesn’t belong to low-bandwidth network such as the Internet. Two differences your company. exist between a cloud environment and a classic corporate t Renting specialized software on a per-user basis. Here network: On the cloud, servers, workstations, software, and the server and software — for example, a rendering or users can all be in different places, and you can tap into any simulation application — belong to someone else, and number of software solutions hosted online, as opposed you simply use them as needed without having to buy to relying on centrally controlled software owned by your anything. This model is frequently referred to as SaaS company. (software as a service). In this scenario, almost every- What jumps out of this definition is that the cloud isn’t a thing is cloudy; the only thing the user needs is a low- new concept, but simply a new buzzword. After all, we’ve power, Internet-connected computer. been putting together complex computing environments with Internet connections for years. Is My Company a Cloud Candidate? So what kinds of environments fit into a cloud? Consider Now that we have a plain-language way to talk about cloud these options: environments, we can explore whether your company really t Centralized server and data with remote users. Often needs to implement cloud-based technologies. To begin, ask called virtual private networks (VPNs), these types of yourself whether you have any circumstances that would ben-

32 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012

cadmanager

efit from remotely locating your CAD applications, servers, from remote workers about slow server performance or data. Diagnose how cloudy your company is by taking and damaged files? this quiz. Every “yes” earns one (1) point, and every “no” t Software and hardware problems. You’d love to under- gets a zero (0). take high-end tasks such as stress, thermal, and energy t %PXFOFFEUPDPOOFDUCSBODIPGGJDFT analysis or rendering and animation, but you can’t t %PXFIBWFNPSFUIBOUISFFCSBODIPGGJDFTUPJOUFHSBUF convince management to approve the hardware and t %PXFFNQMPZIPNFCBTFEXPSLFST software you need because it simply isn’t affordable to t %PPVSNPCJMFTUBGGFSTOFFE$"%POUIFSPBE equip users who need these tools only occasionally. A t "SFPVS$"%GJMFTUPPMBSHFUPMPBERVJDLMZGSPNB cloud approach, on the other hand, lets you share these remote server to a local desktop? resources among many users. Do you sometimes wish t %PXFOFFEUPTIBSFFYQFOTJWFTPGUXBSFBNPOHNBOZ you could just share your most expensive hardware and remote users? software among users? t %PXFOFFEUPTIBSFFYQFOTJWFXPSLTUBUJPOTBNPOH many remote users? What Will You Need? Next, check your total score to see how your company Based on my experience so far, creating a cloud environment fares. most often includes the following components: t 0 points: No need for a cloud approach. Everything is t Remote desktop access. Provided with Windows 7, under one roof and users don’t need to share software, remote desktop access lets remote users connect to and so cloud-style tools are not necessary. share high-end workstations at remote sites. I like to t 1–2 points: Possible need for a cloud. Companies that call this type of environment a “private cloud” because need to share hardware and software only could use all the computers and software belong to you, but the remote desktop access to share machines and software Internet connects the components. inside the building or use SaaS. Companies with a single t Offsite storage. Whether you use small, Internet-based branch office could consider cloud-based storage. These file-sharing applications or entire servers leased from a are only a couple of the possible options. service provider, clouded file storage lets you unburden t 3–5 points: Strong need for a cloud. This company profile your existing networks and empower external work typically has multiple remote offices and/or a traveling teams for very low cost. workforce that needs reliable, fast access to data. In t Rental software. As more software providers find ways these cases, the money you’re wasting by losing track of to rent you software that you might use occasionally but files could probably pay for cloud solutions. wouldn’t purchase, this will become a realistic option. t 6–7 points: You should already have a cloud strategy. This Rental terms could be per file, per month, per year, or company is far-flung, has traveling workers, and needs whatever terms the rental company offers. Rental soft- to share data, hardware, and software tools. This is the ware has been available for a long time, but is just now type of company that really needs cloud workflows but, starting to gain traction in CAD environments. paradoxically, often has a centralized IT infrastructure t Rental cores. For tasks such as rendering where you that prevents implementation. may need results quickly, some companies now offer an option to rent extra CPU cores to speed the task along. The Right Job for the Tool If you could create a rendering in a few hours by renting Some additional ways that you can quantify your company’s 40 CPU cores instead of waiting overnight for your cloud readiness is to see if the problems in the following sce- dual quad-core machine to produce the same narios sound familiar. Like the diagnostic quiz above, the more output, it might be worth the money on certain you find yourself nodding in agreement, the more likely that projects. Watch for great progress in this area in the your company should use cloud technology. next few years. t The remote data problem. The greater the number of users working in branch offices or on the road, the more Summing Up trouble you’ll have keeping all your data synchronized. Will your company need a cloud strategy? If so, which tech- Classic coping mechanisms, such as synchronizing server nologies and tools might you use? Figuring out the answers directories overnight or controlling projects via e-mail requires a little homework, but it isn’t nearly as baffling as attachments, are inefficient and prone to error. Have we’ve come to believe. you ever lost track of who has the latest CAD files for Now is the time to get ahead of your users and senior a given project? management so you can answer their cloud questions with con- t Data speed problems. When users are located far from fidence when the time comes. Believe me, the faster you figure your central servers, it takes them longer to open files. out what the CAD cloud will mean for you, the faster you can Waiting 15 seconds for an e-mail to load is one thing; explain it, control it, and get it approved. All the best. waiting 15 minutes for a base xref or building model to load is quite another. In addition to wasting time, this Robert Green performs CAD programming and consulting scenario also increases the chances for data corruption throughout the United States and Canada. He is the author that can result when you try to open a large file over a of Expert CAD Management: The Complete Guide. Reach him slow network connection. Have you heard complaints via his web site at www.cad-manager.com.

34 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 Try Solid Edge for free! Breakthrough 3D CAD software

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Solid Edge. Design better. circlesandlines By Lynn Allen

Don’t Be Shy — Try Out the New UI! AutoCAD introduces plenty of reasons to move beyond that old, familiar user interface.

t seems that each new release of AutoCAD includes at You can control the color and transparency of the new least a minor tweak to its UI (user interface). AutoCAD modernized Command line. The semi-transparent command 2012 and 2013 are no exceptions: they have added a history doesn’t affect the drawing area — and I just love the I couple of really nice features. It’s natural to gravitate to the ability to select command options directly with your mouse familiar UIs of releases past, but you really should give these (which are now highlighted in blue). You can make the Com- new features a try! mand line almost “completely” transparent so that it displays only when you hover over it (for those of you who are greedy New Modern Command Line with your screen real estate). We all use the Command line from time to time — no You’ll also see that your current command is always dis- matter how ribbon-savvy we are! One of my favorite played on the Command line — that should eliminate some AutoCAD improvements is the new AutoComplete feature. careless errors! AutoComplete appears at the Command line as soon as you start keying in characters, with the goal of saving you valuable In-Canvas Viewport Controls typing time. AutoComplete displays all the commands and I first became aware of the In-Canvas Viewport Controls when system variables that begin with the keyed-in characters working with AutoCAD for Mac. As a fan of that new feature, (figure 1). This comes in especially handy when you can’t I was thrilled when it made its way into AutoCAD running on quite remember how to spell a particular system variable! Windows. These options are primarily for those who work in Of course you can turn off this great new feature, but why 3D (although I’ve used them for switching between 2D saved would you? A right-click at the Command line displays addi- views). They display only in model space. tional controls for this new feature (also seen in figure 1).

Figure 1. AutoComplete helps Figure 2. The In-Canvas Viewport you find the command or system Controls make it easy to manipulate variable you’re after. views, visual styles, and viewports.

Figure 3. Click [–] to control the display of navigation tools. Figure 4. The default viewport configuration of top, front, side, and isometric views.

36 www.cadalyst.com cadalyst Spring 2012 circlesandlines

Located in the upper-left corner of the drawing editor, the Minimize the Ribbon In-Canvas Viewport Controls make it easy to change views and I stumbled upon the ability to minimize the ribbon by double- visual styles and set up tiled viewports. Each of the three col- clicking on a tab. With each double-click, the ribbon cycles umns holds a variety of options (figure 2). through the options of minimizing to panel buttons, panel Clicking on the [–] (first column) lets you control the titles, or just tab. Of course, you can get the same result by display of the ViewCube, Steering Wheels, and Navigation Bar clicking the arrow at the end of the tabs on the ribbon, but (figure 3). Here you also can set up tiled viewports. this new method comes in handy. Easily Display Toolbars A thorough understanding of As I travel around doing presentations, I always poll the audi- AutoCAD’s UI can dramatically ence to see who is using AutoCAD’s classic UI. Although the number has diminished over the past couple of AutoCAD increase your productivity. releases, quite a few diehards still prefer the old menu-and- toolbar system. AutoCAD 2012 and AutoCAD 2013 make it a little easier to enjoy the best of both worlds by adding a Tool- Double-clicking on the [–] fills the screen with the last view- bars button on the View tab of the ribbon. Now you can easily port configuration, or the default (figure 4). In turn, double- display those custom toolbars you worked so hard to create! clicking on the first column inside a viewport fills the screen A thorough understanding of AutoCAD’s UI can dramati- with that view. This is a handy way to jump between tiled cally increase your productivity. Try out some of these new viewports and a single screen. features for yourself. You might just wonder how you lived The second column deals with saved views or viewpoints. without them. Here you can easily change your viewing angle or go to the Until next time, Happy AutoCAD-ing! View Manager. I love that you can quickly jump from one saved view to another; I use this feature all the time. Lynn Allen, Autodesk Technical Evangelist, speaks to more The last column allows you to quickly switch to a standard than 30,000 users worldwide each year. She has written or saved visual style. Cadalyst’s “Circles and Lines” column since 1993 and is the You can turn off the In-Canvas Viewport Controls via the creator of Cadalyst’s popular AutoCAD video tips. You can 3D Modeling tab of the Options dialog box or by setting reach her at [email protected]. VPControl to 0.

CADTEMPO continued from page 30 The program’s recommended requirements are a 32-bit 450-MHz processor (x86); 256 MB RAM; Windows 2000 SP4, Files tab in the navigation bar to view time spent on any par- Windows XP Home and above, Windows Vista Home and ticular file or group of files in a given time period and to view above, or Windows 7 Starter and above; and a 1,024 x 768 file previews and details. The Session tab lets you view user resolution monitor. The installed files are minimal, and I was able to run CadTempo on Windows XP (32-bit) and Windows 7 (64-bit) operating systems. The Options tab allows for a CadTempo starts at $49.95, with a discount for multiple licenses. One license is required for each user you want to good deal of customization to the monitor. A 30-day trial version is available for download. entire CadTempo application. Don’t let the length of this First Look review deceive you — CadTempo 5.2 is very comprehensive. In fact, finding the time necessary to learn all the reporting tools and options may be activity during a given time period, or session. You can gener- the only drawback of this application. ate reports from data in the Files or Session tab as well. Go Accurately tracking the time spent working on a particular to the Reports tab to view previously generated reports and, task can be challenging for an individual, and even more so for optionally, export the data to Excel. The Charts tab gives you a team of users. Although I reviewed the single-user version, access to various charts generated from the collected data. the usefulness of this application would increase greatly when Lastly, the Options tab allows for a good deal of customization tracking multiple users. End user interaction with CadTempo is to the entire CadTempo application. minimal, allowing drafters and engineers to focus on produc- I found the time-logging functionality to be very accurate, tion instead of time tracking. Highly Recommended. with plenty of reporting tools and options available to display collected data. Cadalyst contributing editor R.K. McSwain is a designer Each copy of CadTempo contains a unique privacy code and CAD systems administrator for Pate Engineers in that protects your organization’s data from parties who don’t Houston. He has been using and programming AutoCAD for have this code. The data is also encrypted for additional pro- more than 15 years. Contact him via CADpanacea.com. tection.Details are available in the privacy policy.

Spring 2012 cadalyst www.cadalyst.com 37 userprofile By Nancy Spurling Johnson

Kung Fu Drafter Curt Moreno’s complex pursuits feed his simple desire to better the drafting profession.

A lot of people know you through of BIM doesn’t solve that goal. I believe your blog, Kung Fu Drafter. Tell us we’ve all got so much to offer one about that pursuit. another. I had always enjoyed writing and Any other personal philosophies thought the blog would serve as a CAD related to the CAD profession? resource, a résumé, and something fun I think that too many architecture, to do. I wanted it to be a “CAD life- engineering, and design offices operate style” blog for geeks featuring the sort their drafting rooms as factories. There of topics I found interesting. So from is a plague of poor project manage- the beginning it was more than just ment, unrealistic or undefined goals CAD, because I am about more than and responsibilities, and a 19th-century just CAD. Now, three years later, the mentality in regard to doing business. blog has really come into its own. All this serves to reduce the drafting You’re also an avid reader. What department to a factory that’s sole urt Moreno is many things, just interests you most? purpose is to churn out plan sets as if a sampling of which include The content I read, online and off, they were widgets on an assembly line. CAD manager at a civil engi- tends to be business-management I think once these companies realize C neering firm in Houston, Texas; concepts and books on human that their business is based on relation- CAD industry writer; voracious reader; psychology. I gravitate to any book ships and innovation, these mentalities and the personality behind the Kung that is focused on human behavior. All will stop. Fu Drafter blog. Beneath all that is an of that aggregation has come together I’ve come to realize that CAD is not uncommon devotion to drafting. to help me form a concept of career my job; drafting is my profession, and it How did you get into CAD? and business management that is has a wonderfully diverse ecosystem of When I was in the eighth grade my nontraditional and in conflict with the variants and specializations. Regardless family moved near the end of the school current state of management in most of the skills that I learn, whether they be year. At my new school they made a drafting rooms. graphic arts, web design, writing, or scheduling error and I had a computer What is your interest in protecting photography, they have always been science class first and last periods. So I the profession of drafting? subsidiary and in support of my drafting would normally skip the second class. I am passionate about our professional profession. From the age of 14 this is But one day I stayed for it. In that class, careers and the craft we practice. I am who I am, and if there is one thing I the teacher pulled out an old four- sure there are ways we can improve have learned it is that you have to be color plot of St. Paul’s Cathedral. I how we view ourselves and our work. true to who you are. was fascinated by the plot and decided But first we have to realize the value of that I wanted to get into drafting the the work we create and the deep, rich Know a CAD user we should feature in following year in high school. heritage prepared for us by the millions “User Profile”? Send your suggestion to [email protected]. Tell us about your current job. of drafters who came before us. Like most CAD managers, I started The CAD world seems to be so as a CAD drafter who was the go-to divided as of late. PLM, IPD, BIM, and person. I left Houston for a while to CAD all seem to have diverged, and Read More work in East Texas for my current their respective populations seem to be employer, and after I returned to Hous- exclusionary of one another. I think that Read the full version of this profile at cadalyst. ton, we had hired enough people in our there must be a sense of inclusion in order for drafters of all flavors and com/moreno. Read more local office that I sort of assumed the about Curt Moreno’s disciplines to ensure the best benefits CAD manager role. Which, by the way, workplace philosophies at is the worst way in the world to choose and working environments for the cadalyst.com/iamdrafter a manager. industry as a whole. Being divisive and and cadalyst.com/hireme. excluding “2D drafters” from the world

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